Are you looking for an anime where the protagonist is sent to another world and experiences exciting adventures? These so-called Isekai animes became increasingly popular.

In recent years, the Isekai genre has established itself as one of the most popular genres. Therefore I present to you my top 30 Isekai animes I have seen so far.

Here are my Top 30 isekai animes:

© Kinema Citrus Co., Ltd.

One day the student and Otaku Naofumi Iwatani finds “The Record of the Four Holy Weapons” in the library. When he wants to read it, he faints and is pulled into another world.

He was summoned here by the king together with three others to be one of the four heroes to protect him from a great danger. But first, he and the three others shall explore the world and gain experience…

The Rising of the Shield Hero is a very nice anime. Both in the storytelling and the characters. Never a dull moment. You get the feeling that you want to keep watching the show. At first glance, I never thought that the anime could be that good. It has a lot to offer.

I would really recommend this anime to everyone, especially to Isekai fans.

© GAINAX Co., Ltd.

Satoshi Imamiya and Arumi Asahina live in the Abenobashi shopping district in Osaka. One day they are suddenly drawn into a parallel universe, the Abenobashi mahou Shoutengai – the magic Abenobashi shopping district.

Then a crazy journey through very confusing and weird parallel universes begins for them, in which their friends and acquaintances reappear in ever-changing roles. They always try to escape these worlds, but instead of always ending up at home as promised, they end up in a parallel world again…

Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi has everything a funny anime needs. This anime has dozens of parodies, from Dragonball to Pokemon everything is included. Not only anime are parodied but also famous movies like Indiana Jones, Robocop or even Titanic.

I recommend it to everyone who wants to see something funny or just had a bad day and is looking for something to laugh about.

© Eight Bit Inc.

Satoru Mikami, who is in his mid-thirties, is an employee and is satisfied with his life, but would like to have a girlfriend. He is jealous of his colleague, who has just become engaged to the most beautiful woman in the company.

When the two are attacked, Satoru comes to their help and gets stabbed himself. A computer voice speaks to him, and when he wakes up again, he can’t move and can’t see anything. After a while, Satoru realizes that he has been reborn as slime…

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is one of my favourite Isekais. Perfect comedy moments, the story is always exciting, great characters and the art style is really well done.

Altogether a very good anime I recommend to everyone.

© White Fox Co., Ltd.

In one of the many small wars among the demons, the young demon Satan loses his parents and remains alone, badly injured. Because of this injustice, that in a world where only the strongest survive, and a petty demon like him has no chance, he starts crying.

This until then unknown image of a crying demon is noticed by an angel, and she decides to take Satan in and teach him everything about the world. Equipped with this unique knowledge in the demon world, Satan decides to unite the hostile demon tribes. After 200 years, he finally succeeds and rises to become the demon king.

After this success, the next step is to conquer the human world, Ente Isla. The invasion is successful, except for the western continent, where many are holding fierce resistance. One day the heroine Emilia Justina appears and turns the tide for the humans.

Satan and his last remaining general Alciel, have to admit their defeat and flee through a portal to the Earth of today (approximately the year 2009) not far from the center of Tokyo in Japan. Satan realizes that this world is not only utterly different from his own, but that he has also lost almost all of his magical powers…

Even if the anime slackens a bit over time, The Devil is a part Timer is clearly one of the best Isekai I have seen so far. Likable characters, an extraordinary setting and brilliant humour.

Overall a great anime I recommend to every fan of the Isekai genre.

© SILVER LINK., Inc.

When the duke’s daughter Katarina Claes suffered a serious head injury at the age of 8, she remembers that she lived in Japan in her former life and died in a car accident at the age of 17.

Since the third prince of the same age, Jeord, was not entirely innocent of the head injury, he offers her an engagement as compensation. Her family is therefore quite happy about this outcome, as it means that Katarina could one day become queen.

Katarina is less enthusiastic, and she remembers that the environment and people are like the computer game Fortune Lover that she played shortly before her death…

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! is different from the other Isekai ones; it is something completely new for me, and I really enjoyed watching it. The story is great, the characters very sympathetic, and the art style just amazing in my eyes. Give it a try, you won’t regret it.

© Studio Deen Co. Ltd.

When the Hikikomori Satou Kazuma leaves the house after a long time, he saves a girl from being run over by a car but dies doing so. In the afterlife, he meets Aqua, the goddess of water, who laughs a lot because of the circumstances of his death:

his rescue attempt was useless, as the vehicle was only a tractor driving at walking speed and therefore harmless, and embarrassing, as he actually died of acute stress believing that he had been run over.

She offers him to be reborn in an MMORPG-like world to defeat the Demon King, granting him any divine item or ability. Will Satou go along with it?

KonoSuba is a very entertaining fantasy adventure with focus on humour. I enjoyed it a lot. This constellation of chaotic characters is just fun to watch. For me, a clear recommendation.

© Satelight Inc.

When the popular MMORPG Elder Tale is released with its twelfth expansion, Novasphere/Noosphere no Kaikon, all players logged in at that time – 30,000 in Japan – suddenly find themselves trapped in the game.

Among them the Enchanter Shiroe, his old friend the Guardian Naotsugu, and the Assassin Akatsuki, who are among the most experienced players. Together, they’re looking for someone who can solve this problem…

I recommend Log Horizon to anyone who is looking for a “calmer” anime in this genre that mainly lives from its world and story. But I do not recommend it to those who are looking for fast, action-packed and simple entertainment.

The anime is definitely not a top title for everyone, but for a certain target group, it surely is. I, for myself, really enjoyed it.

© Madhouse Inc.

In 2126, the DMMORPG (Dive Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) launched Yggdrasil, which stands out for its unusually many ways to interact with the game. After 12 years of operation, however, the servers will be shut down. In the game, there is the guild Ainz Ooal Gown, which is called the strongest guild in the game.

However, most of the guild’s players have quit Yggdrasil because of their life in the real world. Momonga, Guild Master of Ainz Ooal Gown, will, therefore, remain alone in the guild until the servers are shut down.

When the servers are shut down, he notices that he cannot use normal player functions such as writing messages or logging out. After even the NPCs start talking to him and have a personality, he decides to take the game seriously and look for other real-world players in this new world. Under the name Ainz Ooal Gown, he starts to explore this new world and tries to find out what really happened…

Overlord is a terrific anime with lots of action, good humour and likeable characters. It’s definitely one of the best Isekai I have seen so far.

© A-1 Pictures Inc.

One day, in the middle of Tokyo’s busiest shopping district Ginza, a “Gate” opens, from which an army of monsters and ancient soldiers emerges and causes a massacre. Still, after a brief moment of the shock effect, they were beaten back by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and police.

It turns out that the enemy army comes from another world where magic exists, but from a cultural and technological point of view, it is very much like the Roman Empire. The Japanese government sends the JGSDF to the other side of the gate – which it calls the “Special Region” – to build a toehold to secure their country and force those responsible for the attack to negotiate.

Gate is an anime with a completely unique feeling, a cool setting and lots of action. Besides the action, political conflicts are also addressed, and one thing above all is not missed out: The humour. Give it a try.

© White Fox Co., Ltd.

Subaru Natsuki can rewind time and overcome death. But he had to find this out in a disturbing way – when he was killed. Furthermore, he is the only one who can remember what happened until his death after rewinding time.

When he suddenly finds himself in a medieval world unknown to him, he is attacked and saved by a beautiful, silver-haired girl. In an attempt to return the favour, he is involved in matters of an unimagined magnitude, and both are killed. Can he escape this deadly curse?

Re:ZERO – Starting Life in Another World is a great anime. It combines sympathetic characters with a thrilling, twisty storyline and manages to elicit a lot of emotions from most viewers.

© A-1 Pictures Inc.

Darkness is all Haruhiro sees when he wakes up. Moreover, he can’t remember anything. He doesn’t know who he was or where he came from. Also, the world in which he finds himself is completely unknown to him and he doesn’t know how he got there. Around him he notices other people who feel the same way.

However, he quickly realizes one thing: that is not the normal world, but a world which is new to him, called Grimgar. To survive in Grimgar, one has to work hard, and so Haruhiro soon finds himself in a group of Manato, Moguzou, Ranta, Yume, and Shihoru, who got to Grimgar at the same time as him.

He now has to cooperate with others and learn new skills to survive in a harsh and hostile environment.

Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash is a more than successful anime of this genre, which surprises with its focus on character drama instead of action. Yet, it shows a knack for the feelings of its characters. Highly recommended to anyone who likes the Isekai genre.

© Ajia-do Animation Works Inc.

In the MMORPG Cross Reverie, student Takuma Sakamoto is unbeatable and notorious as “Demon Lord” Diablo. He beats all opponents with ease – as well as many of the players he dislikes. But outside the game, Sakamoto is insecure and avoids social contacts.

Then he is summoned into an unknown world very similar to that of the game, where he takes on the role of his character Diablo, including his abilities. This is the story of the supposed Demon King, who is soon to change the world, and his adventures, which he approaches with absolute power…

A good story, lots of action, the right amount of Ecchi and a huge portion of comedy. That is How Not to Summon a Demon Lord to me. Had a great time watching it.

© SILVER LINK., Inc.

One day, the 29-year-old programmer Suzuki Ichirou is suddenly transported to a fantasy RPG in which he finds himself as a 14 years younger teenager. Now under the name Satou, he possesses incredible powers, but he has to be careful about his limits.

After Satou has wiped out an entire army of Lizardmen, he decides to keep his ability secret and live a peaceful life as an adventurer. But this was not the game’s intention, and soon numerous threats appear in his path…

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody is, for me, one of the “calmer” animes in this genre. The focus is mainly on everyday life, which means not to expect too much action. If a calmer storyline doesn’t suit you, I wouldn’t recommend this anime.

© Bee Train Production

In 2007, the MMORPG The World is well established, and over 20 million players virtually meet there and experience adventures together.

When the character Tsukasa wakes up in this game, he cannot remember anything, and unlike the other virtual characters, he perceives this virtual world as real. He feels pain and is aware of smells and temperature.

Soon he has to realize that he cannot leave the game and has special abilities. Therefore he is soon pursued by the Crimson Knights, the self-appointed guardians of the game. Furthermore, he is seen together with a cat-like character, who should not exist…

It was incredible how they managed to reach my gamer’s heart with this anime. The characters, the story, the sound and atmosphere left a deep satisfaction. However, just like Death March, this anime belongs to the “calmer” ones. So, don’t expect too much action from it.

© NUT Co., Ltd.

When a Japanese businessman is murdered, an almighty being appears to him. The man refuses to acknowledge this as God. He is reborn as punishment in another world – as a poor girl in an environment similar to that of Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. Now, as the girl Tanya Degurechaff, the man tries to survive as best as he can and continues to refuse to believe in God.

He calls the one to whom he owes all this “Being X”. After some time, it is discovered that Tanya has magical abilities. She is trained by the military and proves to be particularly powerful. She wants to use this to achieve her goal of a good and secure life…

I enjoyed EVERY episode, which is very rare. Tanya is an interesting character, the action was nice to watch, and the story was just great. Highly recommended!

© SILVER LINK., Inc.

The Western Restaurant Nekoya is located close to an ordinary shopping street in Tokyo and offers a mixture of European and Japanese cuisine. It is closed on weekends – at least for the earthly visitors.

Every Saturday, the restaurant’s door connects to a different, fairy-tale world. For the humans, this makes Nekoya a familiar place with familiar dishes, but for the customers who arrive on Saturday, it is nothing more than a cuisine they have never seen or heard of…

A really well done and beautiful “Feelgood” anime, which completely entertains – and makes you hungry! This calm and unspectacular anime is a clear expression of love for food. For me, as someone who loves food, it is simply beautiful to watch.

In each episode, different guests from a fantasy world are shown in the restaurant from the “other world” (our world), and each one combines a special story with their favourite dish. Simply beautiful.

© Brain’s Base Co., Ltd.

The protagonist of the plot is the teenage vampire Staz Charly Blood, who lives in the demon world and rules the eastern part as a gang boss. Since he is an avid fan of Japanese anime and manga, a dream comes true for him when his subordinates tell him that they have picked up a human, the Japanese girl named Fuyumi Yanagi.

His luck doesn’t last long, though, as, during his absence, a carnivorous plant of a challenger sneaks into his room and eats Fuyumi. Fuyumi now exists as a ghost, whereby she loses her charm for him. Nevertheless, he promises her to find a way to revive her…

Blood Lad is a great and entertaining anime. In my opinion, the biggest asset of Blood Lad was its humour. I think that fans of anime series like Fairy Tail or Soul Eater would enjoy it a lot.

Unfortunately, the anime has only 10 episodes. But the end was not really satisfying for me. However, I don’t want to go into further details about that here (for obvious reasons).

© Studio Chizu

After the death of the mother of nine-year-old Ren, who lived alone with her after the parents’ divorce, he is supposed to stay with foster parents. Because his father cannot be found, but he does not want to stay there and runs away. Meanwhile, the ruler in the beast realm of Shibuten decides to retire and become a god.

His possible successors are the popular Lord Iouzan, father of two children, and the strong Kumatetsu, who lives alone and is lazy. The Lord of the Beasts advises Kumatetsu to find a disciple in order to have better chances for the succession.

While he is now wandering through Tokyo, together with his friend Tatara, he meets Ren and wants to make the boy his student. Ren is against it, but follows Kumatetsu at first out of curiosity, but also on the run from the police, into the beast realm…

The Boy and The Beast is a fantastic film with great humour, likeable characters, and a nice story. A film for the whole family. Visually beautiful, enriched with many little loving ideas, the anime tells a remarkable parable about otherness, nonconformism, and friendship.

I generally recommend the film to everyone, even people who have never heard of anime.

© Geno Studio, Inc.

Juri Yukawa’s life could clearly be better. At the age of 22, her everyday life consists of an endless sequence of failed job interviews and her family doesn’t look much better either.

Her brother is a NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), her father has lost his job, and her sister has to make a living as a single mother. As if that wasn’t enough, one day, her brother and nephew are kidnapped, and an impossible ransom demand is made for their survival.

In this hopeless situation, her grandfather reveals a family secret to her: For generations, the family has owned a stone that can stop time. Yuri, her father and grandfather hurry through the frozen world to save their family members, but they realize that they are not the only ones who can move through the frozen time…

Very interesting setting, great heroine and exciting story – Kokkoku offers all this. I really enjoyed watching this anime. For me, this was because everything felt just harmonious. I highly recommend this anime to everyone.

© Studio Deen Co. Ltd.

The 15-year-old student Yuri Shibuya wants to protect his friend from a group of bullies. But the friend runs away, Yuri is now the new victim and is dipped into a toilet. An undertow pulls him through the toilet into a strange, medieval world. In this world, he wakes up among people who threaten him.

Completely overwhelmed, he is lucky to be rescued by Conrad Weller. Soon Yuri is revealed that he is to become the new Demon King, in this world where demons and humans face each other.

But Yuri is a pacifist and refuses to wage war against humans, also because he doesn’t see himself as a demon but as a human and doesn’t think about ruling as a demon king. How will he decide?

Kyou Kara Maoh! offers everything that makes a good fantasy anime, in my opinion. A convincing world, sympathetic characters in whose center a charismatic protagonist sticks out without outshining the others, plus an excellent sense of humour, which also leaves room for some thrilling and dramatic action scenes.

Great anime which I always recommend friends or people who are looking for a fantasy anime.

© Anime International Company, Inc.

The boy Shuzo Matsutani, also known as Shu, is about to go home from a kendo fight when he discovers the shy girl Lala Ru on a chimney. The curious Shu immediately goes up to her.

However, a short time later time stands still, and Lala Ru is attacked under the command of Abelia, which seemingly appeared out of nowhere and took the children into another world…

I think Now and Then, Here and There is really good and recommendable despite the extreme topic. However, you shouldn’t watch the anime if you are sensitive to violence, murder and rape, because these themes (presented negatively) are represented in large numbers, even if often not explicitly shown.

But the implicit representation is usually enough… For those who have no problems with the mentioned, go for it – you won’t regret it!

© Troyca Inc.

Humanity has created countless worlds in its history, all of which were created by the unique imagination of their authors. Souta Mizushino is a high school student and strives to create his own world in the form of a manga.

One day, when he watches an anime, he is suddenly transported for a short time in the middle of the battle, he was just about to witness on screen. It only lasts for a short time, but when he is back in his room, the heroine of the anime, Selesia Upitiria, is standing next to him.

Selesia is not the only fictional character who suddenly finds her way into the world of her authors. A magician, a Mecha pilot together with his Mecha, a magical girl, a ruthless swordsman and many others suddenly populate the streets of modern Japan and deal with the new situation very differently.

However, neither the people nor the fictional characters know how and why it suddenly happened. The only thing that’s for sure is that there is a mysterious girl in uniform behind it, who seems to be planning something dark…

Re:Creators is a drama in my eyes, which, for the most part, consists of almost philosophical dialogues. Therefore I can only say that if you are open to unconventional stories and willing to think about what you see, you have found a little treasure here. Otherwise, I wouldn’t recommend the anime. It’s just that it’s almost a niche product, in my opinion.

© Studio Ghibli Inc.

The ten-year-old girl Chihiro and her parents are on their way to their new home. However, it turns out that the father has lost his way, which is why they now have to stop their car in front of a small tunnel.

Contrary to Chihiro’s wish to continue the car journey, her parents decide to cross the tunnel and see what is there. Leaving the tunnel behind, the family discovers a deserted place that resembles a fair with its restaurants and lanterns.

While Chihiro’s parents – still exhausted from the long car ride – serve themselves the food at one of the abandoned restaurants, she meanwhile looks around this mysterious place. She discovers a bathhouse and meets a boy named Haku, who warns her to leave before sunset; otherwise, she will have to stay there forever…

For me, Spirited Away is and remains one of the most beautiful films I know. A visually stunning fairytale that shows you a lot of Japanese culture. A definite must-see in my eyes!

© Pierrot Co., Ltd.

The high school student Youko is a very insecure girl who tries to get along with everyone as best as she can. Lately, she has been plagued by nightmares that won’t leave her alone. One day a strangely dressed man named Keiki appears in the classroom calls Youko “the one” and asks her to come with him to a safer place, as she would be persecuted.

He urges Youko to hurry, kneels before her, offers her his protection and soul, and asks her to accept. Totally surprised, Youko accepts. Shortly afterward, a bird-like monster appears, from which they flee onto the school roof. There they meet Yuka and Asano, two schoolmates of Youkos.

Keiki takes Youko and her comrades, from whom she doesn’t want to part with her, through a kind of dimensional swirl into his and, as he claims, Youko’s world. There they are separated from Keiki shortly after her arrival, and a complex story begins in the land of the “12 Kingdoms”…

The Twelve Kingdoms is one of the most demanding, elaborate, and fanciful fantasy anime I have ever seen. There are no magicians, no land-destroying spells, no comedy, and no romance, but rather meticulous storytelling and character presentation that requires attention and sometimes a little patience.

© Brain’s Base Co., Ltd.

Kon Hokaze is an avid player of fantasy RPGs and has far more success there than with the girls. So he sees his luck come when a fellow player asks him to help her outside the game. But instead of the expected pleasant offline encounter, Kon is suddenly sucked into another world.

After a rough landing, he finds himself in the middle of battles around Princess Ecarlate. He then joins her small group and tries to survive in this world full of swordplay and magical energy, sometimes taking advantage of his video game experience.

I recommend the anime to lovers of parodies and nonsense comedy. For all who just want to switch off their “brain” and like moronic humour. Not recommended for those who like comedy, but also want a serious plot and profound characters. Also for people who expect a lot of action from an anime (there is some, but not too much).

© Madhouse Inc.

Kiba is about Zed, a fifteen-year-old boy who is an inhabitant of the world Calm. Through a portal, he enters an unknown world where there are so-called “Shard Casters”. Shards are crystals that give the user magical powers, and some talented Shard Casters can also summon the so-called “spirits”. Zed himself does not know that a powerful spirit is inherent in him…

Kiba really surprised me. For an anime that was completely unknown to me, I really enjoyed it. It combines many great elements, from the “problems of everyday life” to interpersonal relationships and politics.

This very wide range is presented very well from my point of view. I can only recommend Kiba because it should have something for almost everybody.

© Sunrise Inc.

The stories revolve around the events in the bar Izakaya Nobu. The Japanese bar, run by the landlord Nobuyuki “Nobu” Yazawa and the waitress Shinobu Senke, has a door that leads into an unknown world.

Accordingly, the guests come from this medieval-European seeming world and are mostly amazed by the exotic and unusual Japanese food they are offered. But everyone, from the city ward to the taxman to the priest, quickly likes the bar and become regular guest.

In Japanese Food From Another World, the different Japanese dishes are in the spotlight, and they are presented in such a dreamlike way that you don’t pay much attention to the whole thing around them.

The story is well written, and the scenario is really well thought out. I also liked that at the end of an episode, someone would always come and talk about the featured food. Great anime to just relax. But please don’t watch it if you are hungry…

© Eight Bit Inc.

Knight’s & Magic is about a Japanese Mecha-Otaku who died in a car accident and whose soul is sent to another world as the reincarnation of Ernesti Echevarria.

After Eru recovers his memories and interests in his former life, he strives to become the pilot of a Silhouette Knight, a humanoid weapon existing in this world.

For me, it wasn’t an anime that I would have binge watched because the tension within the story is simply missing. However, It’s entertaining, the anime has its moments, and the characters make you smile a lot.

I would recommend it to those who like Mechas within an Isekai setting.

© J.C.Staff Co., Ltd.

Hiraga Saito, an ordinary teenager from our time, suddenly finds himself in a fantasy world full of magic and monsters. He is summoned by the sorceress Louise, known to her schoolmates only as “Louise the Zero”, which is based on the fact that she has not yet managed to perform a spell successfully.

So, Saito’s summoning wasn’t really planned. She wanted to summon a “familiar” (something that will accompany and protect her), like all the other students from the same class, and that certainly wasn’t supposed to be a human being.

Nevertheless, Saito quickly takes on this role, even though it soon becomes clear to him that “familiar” in Louise’s care rather means slave and her difficult character doesn’t make his life any easier…

The Familiar of Zero is a very atmospheric fantasy experience with many likeable characters, a sweet love story, as well as a world full of magic, which invites you to explore.

I wouldn’t recommend it to those who prefer thought-provoking animes since this one offers you “only” simple and fun entertainment.

© White Fox Co., Ltd.

High school student Hajime Nagumo is often bullied at his school because the popular Kaori Shirasaki wants to be friends with him. However, his classmates are jealous of the attention that the Otaku Hajime gets from Kaori. Especially their fans Shizuku Yaegashi, Koki Amanogawa, and Ryutaro Sakagami make Hajime’s life difficult.

But suddenly she and the whole class, including teacher Aiko Hatamaya are summoned to a strange world: to Tortus. They have to fight against the demons who are here at war with the humans. Only if they are successful in the fight, they can return to their world…

Many people won’t like to see Arifureta on my list. However, i really enjoyed watching it. It wasn’t a masterpiece, but i didn’t “find” a lot of things people were complaining about. The CGI, for example, isn’t that bad at all, at least not to me.

So, if you haven’t watched the anime yet, and you like the description, just go for it. Don’t put it off just because of the many negative comments you may have read.

Those were my top 30 isekai animes. I hope you found a new one to watch. Have you already seen them, and which isekai anime would you add to my list?